1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glass run and its attachment structure for attaching the glass run to a window frame which is formed on a vehicle door or the like.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. Hei. 11-339172, 2000-19293 and 2000-41625, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 21, in a front door of a vehicle, a window frame 513 is provided in an upper portion of a door body 512.
The front door 511 is provided with a window opening portion 514 which is opened and closed by a window glass 516. Along the opposite side portions and the upper side portion of the window opening portion 514, for example, there is formed the window frame 513 having a substantially U-shape in section, in which an inner side wall, an outer side wall and a bottom wall are formed to be bent. Along this window frame 513, a channel-like glass run 515 is disposed to surround the window glass 516. The glass run 515 is fitted into a groove portion which is formed at the inner circumference of the window frame 513. Thus, when the window glass 516 is moved up and down, the window glass 516 is guided by car-interior-side and car-exterior-side glass seal portions of the glass run 515 while the outside and inside of the cabin is sealed from each other.
The glass run 515 includes a body portion which is constituted by a bottom wall portion, an outside wall portion located on the car exterior side of the bottom wall portion, and an inside wall portion located on the car interior side of the bottom wall portion. The inside and outside wall portions are formed so that the inside wall portion is substantially as high as or a little higher than the outside wall portion.
Recently, a glass run in which such an inside wall portion is set to be two to four times as high as such an outside wall portion has been used to make the door attractive (Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 8-295134). A structure for attaching such a glass run to a window frame will be described with reference to FIG. 22.
FIG. 22 shows a cross section of an upper horizontal frame portion of the window frame 513, which is taken along line Axe2x80x94A in FIG. 21. A channel-like body portion 515a of a glass run 515 is fitted into a groove portion 525 which is provided in the window frame 513. The body portion 515a is constituted by a bottom wall portion 515b, an outside wall portion 515c and an inside wall portion 515d. Glass seal portions 515h and 515i are formed on the outside and inside wall portions 515c and 515d, respectively, so that the window glass 516 is slidably guided. A lock portion 515j which is to be locked in an outer edge 526 provided on the car-exterior-side wall of the window frame 513 at the groove portion 525, and a holding lip 515k which is to be locked in an inner surface of a car-interior-side wall of the window frame 513 at the groove portion 525, are integrally formed pm the body potion 515a. 
An extended inside wall portion 515g is formed integrally with the inside wall portion 515d of the glass run 515. On the other hand, a protrusion 515o is attached on a receiving portion 530 of the window frame 513 with positioning and regulating, and a shield lip 515q is made to abut against a terminal portion 31 of a car-interior-member such as a garnish 24. Height H2 of the extended inside wall portion 515g from the bottom wall portion 515b is approximately three times as large as height H1 of the outside wall portion 515c. 
A conventional glass run, which has not such an extended inside wall portion 515g, and has an inside wall portion being substantially as high as an outside wall portion, is adopted such an attachment method that the body portion of the glass run is moved up from underneath in a straight line so as to be fitted into the groove portion 525 of the window frame 513. In this method where fitting is attained by straight-line movement, however, there is a problem that the work of fitting is not performed smoothly at the glass run structure in FIG. 22 because it is very difficult to give the same pressure at an end of the outside wall portion 515c and an end of the inside wall portion 515d, respectively, and the outside wall portion 515c and the inside wall portion 515d are pressed toward the glass seal portions 515h and 515i respectively so as to come close to each other.
As a result, there arises a problem that the glass seal portions 515h and 515i interfere with each other so that the operation of fitting becomes very troublesome.
Further, as such a conventional glass run 515 in FIG. 22, for example, there is another problem as follows.
When the door 511 is opened or closed hard in the state where the window glass 516 is opened slightly, the upper end portion of the window glass 516 may be shaken by inertia force. Then, if the upper end portion of the window glass 516 exists in a position which is in the region of the glass run 515 and out of the glass seal portions 515h, 515i, the upper end portion of the window glass 516 collides with the extended inside wall portion 515g partially. Here, the glass run 515 is, for example, formed of solid rubber of ethylene-propylene-diene ternary copolymer (EPDM). Then, because the extended inside wall portion 515g of the glass run 515 has predetermined rigidity, the extended inside wall portion 515g cannot absorb the shock caused by the collision of the window glass 516 entirely. Thus, extended inside wall portion 515g further collides with the aforementioned inner side wall of the window frame 513 which is made of metal. There is a problem that an unpleasant collision sound is generated at this time. This problem is apt to be generated near the front end of the upper portion of the window frame 513 in the front door or near the rear end of the upper portion of the window frame 513 in the rear door because the shaking of the window glass 516 is great there.
In addition, the car-interior-side wall of the window frame 513 has the receiving portion 530 which projects in the direction of the car interior side. And the garnish 24 is covering the cat-interior-side wall of the window frame 513 and the protrusion 515o of the glass run 515.
The aforementioned garnish 24 is subjected to termination treatment in which the terminal portion 31 is brought into close contact with the protrusion 515o of the glass run 515 fitted to the groove portion 525 of the window frame 513.
As such a termination treatment structure, as shown in FIG. 22, there is generally adopted a structure in which the receiving portion 530 for bearing the forward end of the inside wall portion 515d is formed at the car-interior-side wall opening end of the groove portion 525 of the window frame 513, while a recess groove 540 is formed at the forward end of the inside wall portion 515d of the glass run 515 so as to be located between the shield lip 515d and the car-interior-side wall opening end of the groove portion 525, so that and end of the terminal portion 31 of the garnish 24 is fitted into the recess groove 540.
However, in the aforementioned terminal treatment structure, there is a possibility that when the end of the terminal portion 31 of the garnish 24 is lifted up to be fitted into the recess groove 540, the shield lip 515q of the glass run 515 may be fitted in between end of the terminal potion 31 of the garnish 24 and the car-interior-side wall opening end of the groove portion 525 so that desired fitting cannot be done. Accordingly, the termination treatment is difficult to be done, and not necessary to consume time.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a glass run and a glass run attachment structure in which the work of attaching a glass run to a window frame can be achieved easily, and the attachment state of the glass run can be held stably.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a glass run attachable to a window frame of a vehicle, comprising: a channel-like body portion having an outside wall portion, a bottom wall portion and an inside wall portion; a lock portion formed in an end portion of the outside wall portion; a detachment preventing protrusion portion formed on an outside wall surface of the outside wall portion; and at least two pressure-contact portions respectively provided on base end portions of the outside wall portion and the inside wall portion corresponding to both ends of the bottom wall portion so as to be brought into pressure-contact with a car-exterior-side wall inner surface and a car-interior-sidewall inner surface of the groove portion of the window frame, wherein the inside wall portion is larger than the outside wall portion, wherein the lock portion is brought into contact with a car-exterior-side outer edge of the window frame, while the body portion of the glass run is rotated around the lock portion so as to be fitted into the groove portion.
Further, there is provided a glass run attachment structure for attaching a glass run to a window frame of a vehicle, the glass run having a channel-like body portion corresponding to a groove portion formed in the window frame, the structure comprising: a lock portion formed in an end portion of an outside wall portion of the glass run; a detachment preventing protrusion portion formed on an outside wall surface of the outside wall portion; and pressure-contact portions respectively provided on outside surfaces of base end portions of the outside wall portion and an inside wall portion corresponding to a bottom wall portion so as to be brought into pressure-contact with a car-exterior-side wall inner surface and a car-interior-sidewall inner surface of the groove portion of the window frame; wherein the inside wall portion is larger than the outside wall portion, wherein the lock portion is brought into contact with a car-exterior-side outer edge of the window frame, while the body portion of the glass run is rotated around the lock portion so as to be fitted into the groove portion.
In the glass run attachment structure, the pressure-contact portions preferably include an outside holding lip and an inside holding lip which are elastically deformed when the body portion of the glass run is rotated to be fitted into the groove portion.
In the glass run attachment structure, compression-direction force is preferably given to at least the outside holding lip of the outside and inside holding lips when the outside and inside holding lips are elastically deformed, whereupon the body portion is urged to a bottom side of the groove portion by compression-direction restoring force of the outside holding lip after the body portion is fitted into the groove portion.
In the glass run attachment structure, a rough surface is preferably formed in a tip end portion of at least the outside holding lip of the outside and inside holding lips.
Preferably, in the glass run attachment structure, the body portion is constituted by the bottom wall portion, the outside wall portion and the inside wall portion, and is extruded so as to be developed by car-exterior-side and car-interior-side bent portions between the outside and inside wall portions and the bottom wall portion; a gap is established between an outer surface of the car-exterior-side bent portion and a bottom wall surface of the groove portion; the car-interior-side bent portion is brought into pressure-contact with the bottom wall surface; and a sealing lip is provided on the car-exterior-side bent portion so as to abut against the bottom wall surface.
In the glass run attachment structure, the groove portion of the window frame is preferably formed so that a width thereof is smaller than a distance between tip end portions of the pressure-contact portions.
In the glass run attachment structure, a gap is preferably established between the detachment preventing protrusion portion and a lock step portion provided in the car-exterior-side wall inner surface of the groove portion.
Preferably, in the glass run attachment structure, a receiving portion is formed as a lock portion with positioning and regulating in an inner circumference of an inner reinforce which constitutes the window frame; a terminal portion is formed as a lock portion in a garnish; and a lifting and holding lip is provided on an extended inside wall portion of the glass run so as to be brought into pressure-contact with the receiving portion, while a locked protrusion portion is formed as a locked portion which is to be locked by the terminal portion.
It is another object of the present invention to perform termination treatment between a glass run and a garnish of a window frame surely and with a good workability, and to stabilize a terminal treatment portion.
In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a glass run attachment structure comprising a glass run having a body portion substantially U-shaped in section and seal lips extending from opposite side wall portions of the body portion so as to hold an outer circumference of a door glass from opposite sides of the door glass, the glass run being fitted into a groove portion of a window frame, and further comprising a garnish covering a car-interior-side surface of the window frame, a terminal portion of the garnish being brought into close contact with a forward end of the inside wall portion of the glass run, wherein inside wall portion of the glass run has a lip portion formed at the forward end so as to extend from the forward end down below a car-interior-side wall opening end of the groove portion of the window frame, and the terminal portion of the garnish is fitted in between the lip portion and the car-interior-side wall opening end.
In the above glass run attachment structure, preferably, a receiving portion is formed at the car-interior-side wall opening end of the groove portion, and the lip portion is made to extend down below the receiving portion, and wherein another lip portion is formed at the forward end of the inside wall portion of the glass run so as to be closer to an outside surface of the side wall than the first-mentioned lip portion and to extend from the forward end of the inside wall portion to thereby press on the receiving portion when the glass run is attached to the window frame.
According to the present invention, a lip portion is formed at the forward end of the car-interior-side side wall of the glass run so as to extend down below the car-interior-side opening end of groove portion of the window frame. Accordingly, if the terminal portion of the garnish is lifted up along the lip portion, the terminal portion is fitted in between the car-interior-side wall opening end and the lip portion surely. In addition, if another lip portion is formed at the forward end of the inside wall portion of the glass run, the lip presses onto the receiving portion of the opening end while the lip is bent. Accordingly, the forward end of the inside wall portion of the glass run is stabilized so that the terminal portion of the garnish engaged therewith is also stabilized.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a glass run which can reduce a collision sound caused by the opening and closing of a door in the condition that a window glass is opened slightly.
There is provided a vehicle door sealing structure for sealing off the inside of a cabin from the outside thereof with the glass run fitted in the window frame formed in a vehicle door; wherein shock absorbing means is provided in at least one of an inner circumferential surface of an upper portion of the window frame and an inside wall portion of the glass run.
The shock absorbing means is preferably provided to absorb the shock when the window glass collides with the glass run. It is therefore possible to reduce a collision sound generated by this collision.
Preferably, the glass run is constituted by a bottom wall portion and inside and outside wall portions so as to have a substantially U-shape in cross section, and glass seal portions are provided in the inside and outside wall portions, at least one of the glass seal portions being formed to extend from a middle of inside wall portion, an extended inside wall portion being formed between a base end portion of the glass seal portion and a forward end of the inside wall portion, the shock absorbing means being provided in at least one of the extended inside wall portion and the car-interior-side wall inner surface of the groove portion of the window frame corresponding to the extended inside wall portion.
In the above glass run, when the window glass is moved down slightly, it is possible to reduce a collision sound effectively, particularly in the glass run which is apt to be detached from the glass seal portion in the region of the glass run.
Preferably, the shock absorbing means is provided at least at a front end of an upper portion of a window frame of a front door, or in a vicinity of the front end of the upper side portion, or in the extended inside wall portion of the glass run corresponding to the front end of the upper portion of the window frame or the vicinity of the front end of the upper portion of the window frame.
In the above glass run, preferably, the shock absorbing means is provided at least at a rear end of an upper portion of a window frame of a rear door, or in a vicinity of the rear end of the upper portion, or in the extended inside wall portion of the glass run corresponding to the rear end of the upper portion of the window frame or the vicinity of the rear end of the upper portion of the window frame.
The shock absorbing means is preferably provided in a portion where the quantity of movement of the window glass increases when the door is opened or closed hard, so that it is possible to reduce a collision sound more effectively.
Preferably, the shock absorbing means is constituted by a hollow portion formed in the side wall portion of the glass run.
Preferably, the shock absorbing means is constituted by a lip portion formed in the inside wall portion of the glass run.
The operation of the invention can be attained with a simple structure.
Preferably, the lip portion is provided so that a forward end portion of the lip portion is released in a free state before the glass run is attached to the window frame, and the forward end portion abuts against a side surface of the inside wall portion so as to form a hollow portion in at least one of occasions when the window glass moves toward the car interior side and when the glass run is variously attached to the window frame.
The glass run in which shock absorbing means formed by a hollow portion is provided in the inside wall portion can be realized with a simple mold structure.
The shock absorbing means is preferably constituted by a sponge layer molded on at least one of surfaces of the inside wall portion of the glass run so as to be integrated with the inside wall portion.
The sponge layer is provided in the inside wall portion of the glass run, so that the operation of the invention can be attained with a simple structure. In addition, the sponge layer can be formed to be close to the forward end portion of the inside wall portion with respect to the open and close direction of the window glass. Accordingly, even if the window glass collides with the forward end of the inside wall portion of the glass run, the collision sound generated by the collision can be reduced.
The shock absorbing means may be a sponge member bonded onto at least one of a surface of the inside wall portion of the glass run and an inner circumferential surface of the window frame.
The sponge member is bonded onto at least one of the inside wall portion of the glass run and the inner circumferential surface of the window frame, so that the operation of the invention can be attained with a simple structure. In addition, a collision sound can be reduced more surely and effectively by adjusting the size and bonded position of the sponge member. Further, it is possible to use a common sponge member regardless of the shapes of the glass run and the window frame. In addition, when the sponge member is bonded onto the inside wall portion of the glass run, the work of bonding is so easy that it is possible to restrain the labor of a worker from increasing at the time of the work of assembling the glass run.
Features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.